Something wrong with the chimney?
These are the calls we get most in Portland — what causes each problem, what you can safely check yourself, and what the fix usually looks like.
Fireplace Smoke Coming Into the House in Portland, OR
Smoke rolling out of the firebox instead of up the flue is one of the most common calls we get in Portland, and most of the time the cause is one of f…
Read moreGas Fireplace Won't Light in Portland, OR
A gas fireplace that clicks but never catches, or lights and dies a minute later, almost always comes down to a short list of causes. Here is what you…
Read moreChimney Leaking When It Rains in Portland, OR
Water showing up around your fireplace during a Portland rainstorm almost never comes in where the stain is. Here is where chimney leaks actually star…
Read moreAnimal or Bad Smell in the Chimney in Portland, OR
Scratching above the damper and a chimney smell that gets worse in damp weather usually trace back to the same thing: an open, uncapped flue. Here is …
Read moreGas Fireplace Pilot Won't Stay Lit
The pilot lights while you hold the knob, then dies the moment you let go. That single symptom points at a very short list of parts, and one of them f…
Read moreGas Fireplace Clicks But Won't Ignite
You hear the igniter ticking away and nothing catches. The clicking itself is good news - it means the ignition system has power. The problem is betwe…
Read moreGas Fireplace Glass Going Black or Foggy
Black film on the inside of the glass is not cosmetic and it is not normal. It is carbon, and carbon means the fireplace is burning incompletely - whi…
Read moreGas Fireplace Lights But Gives No Heat
The flame looks right, the fire is burning, and the room stays cold. Usually this is not a fault at all - it is the wrong expectation of the wrong app…
Read more